Holmes Airport plans coming together

The next step in the evolution of the Holmes County Airport took a leap forward Monday, April 13 when the Holmes County Commissioners met with Roc Baker and Josh Troyer of the Holmes County Airport Authority to begin to finalize the blueprint for the new tower.

Weaver Construction will serve as the design-build entity for the tower project and has created a two-story tower that will create a better visitor experience for those flying into the Millersburg airport.

Weaver Construction’s preliminary plans were presented to the commissioners, who are now in the process of looking the plans over prior to committing to approval, but the commissioners said what has been presented to them falls within the realm of what they believe will be acceptable, as long as the plans come in under the $3 million threshold the commissioners have committed to the construction.

Troyer, the vice president of the Holmes County Airport Authority, provided an in-depth look into the tower plans.

In describing the exterior of the tower, which will include material of stone, glass, and aluminum and wood siding, Troyer said. “It’s a nice, traditional, warm feel with lots of windows.”

Baker said the new hangars being built will be to the left of the tower.

The terminal will be a 60-by-60-foot two story structure while the hangar will be 120-by-120 feet.

The first floor of the tower will consist of all the facilities needed to operate the tower including a conference room, office space, restrooms, storage area and pilot’s lounge.

“The pilot’s lounge is accessible after hours, which is really important for pilots to be able to come in after hours,” Troyer said. “We would lock that door to the rest of the facility so they would have access to the break room and restroom.”

The second floor will, for the moment, remain an unfinished shell, something Baker said will help keep the initial cost under the $3 million threshold but allow for future development when needed.

Commissioner Joe Miller expressed concern that initially the commissioners had talked about a single-story structure for the tower to keep the cost down, but Baker said with the second floor being empty, Weaver Construction has assured them they can keep it under the desired cost.

He said in dreaming big, the second floor will eventually consist of several offices and a large space to facilitate a flight school or other businesses connected to the airport.

“We could possibly even put in a flight simulator for training purposes,” Troyer said. “The bottom left will be a waiting area with open space, and the entryway will be open from the first floor. We’re trying to dream big because our space is limited, so up is the only option and it’s cheaper to do it now.”

Baker said the hope is the Airport Authority can secure grants in the future to help complete the second-floor portion of the tower. While there is an indoor observation area proposal for the future of the second floor, Baker said they also are entertaining the idea of adding an outdoor observation deck.

“Initially, (Weaver Construction) wanted to really make it look modern, but this is Holmes County. We have a small budget to deal with,” Baker said.

Commissioner Dave Hall requested the commissioners receive everything in print so they can peruse the entirety of the project prior to committing to it, a request that was quickly agreed to by Troyer.

Baker said Weaver Construction has been adamant it can build the project while keeping expenses under the proposed budget, and they’ve asked Weaver Construction to sign off on that commitment.

Troyer said the Airport Authority already has five jets committed to utilizing the hangar area on a regular basis.

Troyer assured the commissioners the current runway can handle all the needs of incoming flights.

Baker also said there are numerous business owners in the area who would prefer flying out of Holmes County rather than traveling to Akron-Canton, Cleveland or Zanesville.

“There’s a lot of opportunity in front of us here,” Hall said. “This really serves our needs in people not having to go to other airports. I’ve been talking to the chamber, and they are excited because they see people can fly in.”

Troyer said the hope is construction can begin as early as the beginning of this summer.